Configuring Email Retention Policies in Microsoft 365

Email retention policies automatically keep or delete email after a defined period, helping meet legal and compliance requirements. Configure them in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal (compliance.microsoft.com) under Policies > Retention. Click New retention policy, name it, and choose whether it applies to Exchange email, SharePoint, OneDrive, or Teams. Set the retention period (e.g., keep for 7 years) and what happens at the end (delete, or keep forever). Assign it to All locations or specific mailboxes. Retention policies work alongside Litigation Hold. If a user is on Litigation Hold, their email is preserved regardless of user or policy deletion. Review your retention requirements with management or legal counsel — different data types may have different legal hold periods. Changes to retention policies can take up to 7 days to propagate.